Coil car track system

ABSTRACT

A track system for cars which carry heavy coils of steel between two or more stations where coils are processed. A single main track extends between such stations and switching means are provided at each station so that the coil car may be moved to one or the other of a pair of track sections at each station. The coil car is propelled by an electric motor and power rails are located in a pit below the car tracks. The coil car has a mast which extends downwardly into the pit and the mast carries shoes which slidably engage the power rails for the purpose of transmitting power to the coil car motor. The power rails are so arranged that an unbroken supply of power is transmitted to the coil car motor as the car proceeds to and from a track section and the main track.

United States Patent [191 Ward COIL CAR TRACK SYSTEM Frederick A. Ward, Poland, Ohio [73] Assignee: Wean United Inc., Youngstown,

Ohio 221 Filed: Apr. 26, 1972 21 Appl. No.: 247,519

[75] Inventor:

[52] US. Cl 104/130, 191/23, 191/38, 104/148 [51] Int. Cl H02g 11/00 [58] Field of Search 104/89, 96, 103, 104, 130, 104/148, 139, 140, 141; 191/22, 23, 28,29, 30, 45, 48, 49, 38

[451 May 7,1974

I Primary ExaminerM. Henson Wood, Jr.

Assistant Examiner-D. W. Keen Attorney, Agent, or Firm-Michael Williams 57 ABSTRACT A track system for cars which carry heavy coils of steel between two or more stations where coils are processed. A single main track extends between such stations and switching means are provided at each station so that the coil car may be moved to one or the other of a pair of track sections at each station. The coil car is propelled by an electric motor and power rails are located in a pit below the car tracks. The coil car has a mast which extends downwardly into the pit and the mast carries shoes which slidably engage the power rails for the purpose of transmitting power to the coil car motor. The power rails are so arranged that an unbroken supply of power is transmitted to the coil car motor as the car proceeds to and from a track section and the main track.

11 Claims, 8 Drawing Figures SHEET 1 OF 4 PATENIED HAY 7 I974 EANING STATION AN N EAU NG STAT \ON 1 COIL CAR TRACK SYSTEM BACKGROUND AND SUMMARY Track systems for coil cars have heretofore been in public use wherein coil cars may move from one coil processing station to another. One form of which applicant is aware comprises a single track having ends terminating at respective stations. In this case only one car may be shuttled back and forth along the track between stations and considerable time is consumed in this operation.

In another system known to applicant, the track is in the form of a closed loop between the processing stations. In this case, more than one car may be propelled along the track, but the closed loop requires considerable more track then the above-mentioned single track, and therefore more floor space.

My invention retains the advantages of the systems mentioned above and eliminates the disadvantages thereof. In my improved system, a single track extends between the stations, each of the ends of such track being in switching communication with a pair of track sections, so that two cars may be positioned at one station, one car containing a steel coil which has been processed and is ready to be moved to the other station and the other car containing a steel coil for processing at the station, or the car may be ready to receive a coil which is being processed.

My invention also provides a power supply for the propelling of the coil car by means of an electric motor, comprising power rails which are so constructed and arranged to provide an unbroken power supply as the car proceeds to and from a track section and the main single track.

DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS In the drawings accompanying this specification and forming a part of this application, there are shown, for purposes of illustration, embodiments which my invention may assume, and in these drawings:

FIG. 1 is a schematic representation of a track system for a coil car, showing the track extending between two coil processing stations,

FIG. 2 is a side view of a typical coil car,

FIG. 3 is an enlarged plan view of a part of the track system shown in FIG. 1, showing parts in one position,

FIG. 4 is a view like FIG. 3, but showing parts in another position,

FIG. 5 is an enlarged, fragmentary, sectional view corresponding to the line 55 of FIG. 3, showing the coil car in dotted lines,

FIG. 6 is an enlarged plan view ofa part of the track system shown in FIG. 1, illustrating another embodimerit of my invention, with parts in one position,

FIG. 7 is a view like FIG. 6, but showing parts in another position, and another position,

FIG. 8 is an enlarged, fragmentary sectional view corresponding to the line 8-8 of FIG. 7.

DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENT My invention relates to switching mechanism for rail cars, and particularly to switching mechanism for a track system that is used in a steel handling line, such as a line in which coils of steel are transported by cars along tracks from one coil processing station to another.

FIG. 1 schematically discloses a track system between a coil cleaning station 10 and a coil annealing station 11. In one mode of handling, a crane operator at 12 may pick up a coil of steel from the annealing station and load it on a car 20. The car is then driven along track 14 to the cleaning station 10, where a crane operator at 15 unloads the coil from the car and delivers it to the cleaning station. It will be appreciated that other coil processing stations may be linked by tracks with the stations herein disclosed.

In order to provide efficiency in coil handling, the track 14 leads into two track sections l6, 17 at the annealing station 11, and into two track sections 18, 19

at the cleaning station 10. Thus, a coil may be loaded on a car 20 on track section 17 at the annealing station and moved along track 14 to position indicated as 20.1 on track section 19 at the cleaning station. While the car 20 is moving along track 14, another coil may be loaded on car 20.2 on track section 16 at the annealing station. A coil, which had previously been delivered by car 20.3 to the cleaning station may be unloaded by the crane operator 15 during the time the car 20 is moving along the track 14.

FIGS. 3 and 4 show in greater detail the track sections '16, and 17 in combination with a portion of the track 14. The track 14 comprises a pair of rails 21, 22 which may be similar to those used by railroads and may be spaced apart in accordance with standard railway gauge.

The track sections 16 and 17 include rails 23, 24 and 25, 26 respectively, of the same type and spaced the same amount as the rails 21, 22. As shown at 27 and 28, the rails 23 and 26 of the two .track sections merge with and form continuations of respective rails 21, 22. The rails 24, 25 of the two track sections join in a V at 27.1.

Cross-over rail sections 30, 31 are pivotally mounted at 32, 33 respectively, to a flat supporting plate 35. A fluid cylinder 36 has a trunnion connection 37 with the plate 35 and the end of its piston rod is pivotally connected at 38, to the rail section 30 so that the latter may be shifted in a horizontal plane from position shown in FIG. 3 to an operative position shown in FIG. 4 wherein it provides a cross-over from rail 21 to rail 25. A second fluid cylinder 40 has a trunnion connection 41 with the plate 35 and the end of its piston rod is pivotally connected at 42 to the rail section 31 so that the latter may be shifted in a horizontal plane from an operative position shown in FIG. 3, wherein it provides a cross-over from rail 22 to rail 24, to an inoperative position shown in FIG. 4.

The cylinders 36 and 40 are actuated in unison in any suitable manner so that the rail sections 30, 31 are both in their related positions shown in FIGS. 3 and 4. In the position of the rail sections 30, 31 as seen in FIG. 3, a coil car 20 may movefrom track 14 to track section 16 or vice versa. In the position of the rail 30, 31, as seen in FIG. 4, a coil car 20 may move from track 14 to track section 17, and vice versa.

The coil car 20, as seen in FIG. 2, may be of standard design and in accordance with such design comprises a carriage 50 formed to provide support for a coil C of steel. Sets of flanged wheels, designated 51, support the carriage for movement along the tracks, and an electric motor M (see FIG. 5) is carried by the carriage and has a driving connection with certain sets of wheels to provide the power for driving the car.

' In accordance with usual design, a mast 52 extends downwardly from the car and into a pit 53, as seen in FIG. 5. The pit 53 extends the full length of the track 14 and has similar sections underlying the track sections 16, 17. For safety purposes the pit and pit sections are covered, except for a slot 55 to pass the mast.

Adjacent to the rail sections 30, 31 the slot 55 bridges into two slot sections 56, 57, the slot section 56 underlying track section 16 and the slot section 57 underlying track section 17. An underground power rail system 58 is disposed within the pit 53 and, as seen in FIG. 5, such system along the track 14 comprises three superimposed power rails 59, 60 and 61 carried by insulators 62'which extend from a support 63 secured to the side wall of the pit. The power rails are mounted in fixed relation relative to the lower end of the mast 52 and the latter carries three shoes 65, 66 and 67 which are spring-pressed into engagement with respect to the power rails 59, 60 and 61. The shoes are insulated from the mast and are electrically'connected to insulated conductors shown in dotted lines which extend upwardly through the mast and are electrically connected to the motor M which drives the coil car 20. The rails 59 and 60 may be'connected to a source of electrical power, and the rail 61 may be connected to a control device of any standard type which causes the car to be propelled or stopped at any desired time, either forward or rearward along the rails.

As seen in FIGS. 3 and 4, the power system 58 follows the slot section 57, so that when the rail section 30 is in its position shown in FIG. 4, the coil car 20 may proceed from the track rails 21, 22 over track sections 28 and 30 to track rails 25, 26 of track section 17, and

the shoes 65, 66 and 67will at all times be in contact with the power rails 59, 60 and 61 which follow the slot 55 and slot section 57.

Begining in the vicinity of the rail sections 30, 31, as for example at the place designated 70, is a second undergound power rail system 58.1 which extends only from place 70 to the end of the track rails 23, 24 of track section 16. This system includes three superimposed power rails 59.1, 60.1 and 61.1 which are mounted like the rails 59. 60 and 61, but extend inwardly from the wall of the pit section underlying track section 16, for engagement with shoes 65.1, 66.1 and 67.1 supported on the opposite side of the'mast 52. The rails 59.1, 60.1 and 61.1 are electrically connected to respective rails 59, 60 and 61.

Therefore, when the rail section 31 is in its position shown in FIG. 3, the coil car 20 may proceed from the rails 21, 22 of track section 14, over the rail sections 27, 31 and to rails 23, 24 of track section 16. It will be clear that as the mast 52 which extends downwardly from the coil car reaches the place designated 70, the shoes on opposite sides of the mast 52 will be in electrical engagement with power rails 59, 60 and 61 and power rails 59.1, 60.1 and 61.1. However, as the coil car proceeds along track sections 27, 31, the shoes 65, 66 and 67 will move out of engagement with their respective power rails, but this will not interrupt power to the motor of the coil car, since the shoes 65.1, 66.1 and 67.1 will remain in engagement with their respective rails, so that the coil car may be propelled in the entire length of the track rails 23, 24 of track section 16.

On the return trip of the coil car, along track section 16, the shoes 65.1, 66.1 and 67.1 will move out of engagement with their respective power rails when the mast 52 passes the place 70, but before this happens, the shoes 65, 66 and 67 will again be in engagement with their respective power rails.

DESCRIPTION OF OTHER EMBODIMENT The embodiment shown in FIGS. 7 and 8 comprises a track switching system similar to that hereinbefore described and corresponding parts will be given the same reference numerals with the suffix 0 added.

In this embodiment, as before, the power rail system 58a follows the slot 57a for the track section 17a. However, in this embodiment, a second power rail system 75 is disposed to one side of the slot 56a in exact accordance with the disposition of the system 58a with respect to the slot 57a. A short jumper rail system 76 is pivotally connected to the system 75, as at 77, and is swung from a position in engagement with the system 58a, as shown in dotted lines in FIG. 6, to a position out of engagement with the system 58a, as shown by the dotted lines in FIG. 7. A small fluid cylinder- 78 is provided for shifting the jumperrail system 76 from one position to another.

With reference to FIG. 8, it will be noted that a power mast 52a extends downwardly from the coil car as before. Also, power rails 59a, 60a and 61a are supported by insulators from a side wall of the pit, and are engaged by shoes 65a, 66a and 67a carried by the mast. The power rails of power system will be disposed exactly as the rails 59a, 60a and 61a, as will the rails of the jumper system 76, with the exception that the rails of the latter system will be pivotally connected to respective rails of the system 75.

The fluid cylinder 78 will be actuated in synchronism with the cylinders 36a and 40a, so that when the rail section 300 is in its position shown in FIG. 7, thepower rails of the jumper system 76 will be out of engagement with the power rails of the power system 58a. In this condition of parts, the coil car may proceed along the rails 21a, 22a of track 14a and over rails 30a and 28a to the rails 25a, 26a of the track section 17a. The shoes 65a, 66a and 67a carried by the mast of the car will engage and follow the unbroken power rails of the power system 58a. i

To provide for coil car movement to and from the track section 16a, the fluid cylinders 36a, 40a and 78 are simultaneously actuated to switch rail sections 30a and 31a and jumper system 76 to position shown in FIG. 6, wherein the free end of jumper system engages rails system 58a. In this condition of parts, the coil car may proceed along the rails 21a, 22a of the track section 14a and over rails 27a and 31a to the rails 23a, 24a of the track section 16a. The shoes 65a, 66a and 67a carried by the mast of the car will follow the power rails of the power system 58a, then proceed over the rails of the jumper system 76 to the power rails of the power system 75.

In either embodiment, the coil car may be radiocontrolled and one of the power rails, such as the rail 61 in FIG. 5, or the rail 61a in FIG. 8, may be used to transmit control signals to the motor of the coil car, with the other two rails serving to deliver power. The coil car motor is of the reversible type so that the coil car may be driven either forward or backwardsln some cases the mast extending downwardly from the coil car is merely a link between the car and a small power car (not shown) which moves along rails on the bottom of track switching means movable between two positions, in one position said coil car being movable between said single track and one of said track sections, and in another position said coil car being movable between said single track and the other of said track sections, pits under said single track and said track sections and extending along respective lengths thereof, the pits under said track sections merging with the pit under said single track at said track switching means, an electric power supply for the motor of said coil car, comprising an unbroken power rail system within the pit under said single track and said one track section and following the line of car movement between said single track and said one track section, and a sectional power rail system within the pit under said other track section and following the line of car movement from said single track, over said switching means and to said other track section,

current collector means movable with said coil car and engageable with said power rail systems to provide electric power to the coil car motor,

and means to automatically effect current conduction between said collector means and said sectional power rail system when said switching means is in said other position.

2. The construction according to claim 1 wherein each said unbroken and said sectional rail systems include respective sets of vertically spaced current conducting rails.

3. The construction according to claim 3 wherein said current collector means comprises sets of vertically spaced shoes engageable with respective sets of rails.

4. The construction according to claim 3 wherein both sets of shoes are in engagement with both sets of rails at a track point adjacent to said track switching means.

5. The construction according to claim 4 wherein one set of shoes moves out of engagement with the sets of rails of said unbroken rail system and the other sets of rails remains in engagement with the sets of rails of said sectional rail system when said coil car moves from said single track to said other of said track sections.

6. The construction according to claim 1 wherein a jumper rail system is pivotally connected to said sectional rail system, the free end of said jumper rail system being movable to and away from engagement with said unbroken rail system.

7. The construction according to claim 1 wherein said current collector means includes a mast extending downwardly from said coil car and into said pits.

8. The construction according to claim 1 wherein each said unbroken and sectional rail system include respective sets of vertically spaced current conducting rails,

wherein said current collector means includes a mast extending downwardly from said coil car and into 5 said pits,

wherein said mast carries one set of current collecting shoes slidably engageable with respective rails of said unbroken rail system, and another set of current collecting shoes slidably engageable with 10 respective rails of said sectional rail system.

9. The construction of claim 8 wherein both sets of current collecting shoes are in engagement with respective rails of said unbroken and sectional rail systems at a track point adjacent to said track switching means,

and wherein one set of current collecting shoes moves said other of said track sections.

10. The construction according to claim 1 wherein said current collector means includes a mast extending downwardly from said coil car and into said pits,

wherein each said unbroken and sectional rail systems include respective corresponding sets of vertically spaced current conducting rails carried from the side of respective pits,

wherein a jumper rail system is disposed between said unbroken and sectional rail systems and includes sets of rails each rail having one end pivotally connected to a corresponding rail of said sectional rail system and its other end movable to and away from engagement with a corresponding rail of said unbroken rail system.

11. A track and power system for wheeled coil cars and the like, wherein the car is driven by an electric motor along a single track from one station-to another, said single track including a pair of spaced, parallel rails, the improvement comprising:

a pair of track sections at least at one of said stations and disposed on opposite sides of a continuation of the centerline of said single track, each track section including a pair of parallel rails spaced to correspond to the spacing of the rails of said single track,

the rails outermost of said centerline in each track section being connected to respective rails of said single track by a curved continuation of the related rails,

the rails innermost of said centerline in each track section being joined by merging, curved continuations which stop short of the rails of said single track to form a space therebetween,

a pair of short, curved rails located within said space i tive, and in another position the other short rail forms a cross-over from the other rail of said single track to the innermost rail of the other track section while said one short rail is inoperative, whereby said car may be moved between said single track and a selected one of said track sections,

pits under said single track and said track sections and extending along respective lengths thereof, the

pits under said track sections merging with the pit under said single track,

an electric power supply for the motor of said coil car, comprising an unbroken power rail system within the pit under said single track and one track section and following the line of car movement between said single track and said one track section,

and a sectional power rail system within the pit under the other track section and following the line of car n movement from said single track to said other track lying said sectional power system.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE :E TI IG TE F CORRECTION X 3,808,978 Dated May 7, 1974 Frederick A. Ward Patent No.

Inventor(s) It is certified that error appears in the above-identified patent and that said Letters Patent are hereby corrected as shown below:

Column 1, Description of the drawings, Figure 7, line 58,

after and, delete the second occurrence of "another position,"

Column 2, 1ine 58, after "rail" insert sections Signed and sealed this 1st day of October 1974.

(SEAL) Attest:

McCOY M. GIBSON JR. C.MAR SHALL DANN Attesting Officer Commissioner of Patents USCOMM'DC 60376-P69 US. GOVKRNMENT PRINTING OFFICE: 8 93 0 FORM PO-105O (|O-69)- 

1. A track and power system for wheeled coil cars and the like, wherein the car is driven by an electric motor along a single track from one coil processing station to another, comprising: a pair of track sections at least at one of said stations, track switching means movable between two positions, in one position said coil car being movable between said single track and one of said track sections, and in another position said coil car being movable between said single track and the other of said track sections, pits under said single track and said track sections and extending along respective lengths thereof, the pits under said track sections merging with the pit uNder said single track at said track switching means, an electric power supply for the motor of said coil car, comprising an unbroken power rail system within the pit under said single track and said one track section and following the line of car movement between said single track and said one track section, and a sectional power rail system within the pit under said other track section and following the line of car movement from said single track, over said switching means and to said other track section, current collector means movable with said coil car and engageable with said power rail systems to provide electric power to the coil car motor, and means to automatically effect current conduction between said collector means and said sectional power rail system when said switching means is in said other position.
 2. The construction according to claim 1 wherein each said unbroken and said sectional rail systems include respective sets of vertically spaced current conducting rails.
 3. The construction according to claim 3 wherein said current collector means comprises sets of vertically spaced shoes engageable with respective sets of rails.
 4. The construction according to claim 3 wherein both sets of shoes are in engagement with both sets of rails at a track point adjacent to said track switching means.
 5. The construction according to claim 4 wherein one set of shoes moves out of engagement with the sets of rails of said unbroken rail system and the other sets of rails remains in engagement with the sets of rails of said sectional rail system when said coil car moves from said single track to said other of said track sections.
 6. The construction according to claim 1 wherein a jumper rail system is pivotally connected to said sectional rail system, the free end of said jumper rail system being movable to and away from engagement with said unbroken rail system.
 7. The construction according to claim 1 wherein said current collector means includes a mast extending downwardly from said coil car and into said pits.
 8. The construction according to claim 1 wherein each said unbroken and sectional rail system include respective sets of vertically spaced current conducting rails, wherein said current collector means includes a mast extending downwardly from said coil car and into said pits, wherein said mast carries one set of current collecting shoes slidably engageable with respective rails of said unbroken rail system, and another set of current collecting shoes slidably engageable with respective rails of said sectional rail system.
 9. The construction of claim 8 wherein both sets of current collecting shoes are in engagement with respective rails of said unbroken and sectional rail systems at a track point adjacent to said track switching means, and wherein one set of current collecting shoes moves out of engagement with the rails of said unbroken rail while the other set of current collecting shoes remains in engagement with the rails of said sectional track system when said coil car moves from said single track to said other of said track sections.
 10. The construction according to claim 1 wherein said current collector means includes a mast extending downwardly from said coil car and into said pits, wherein each said unbroken and sectional rail systems include respective corresponding sets of vertically spaced current conducting rails carried from the side of respective pits, wherein a jumper rail system is disposed between said unbroken and sectional rail systems and includes sets of rails each rail having one end pivotally connected to a corresponding rail of said sectional rail system and its other end movable to and away from engagement with a corresponding rail of said unbroken rail system.
 11. A track and power system for wheeled coil cars and the like, wherein the car is driven by an electric motor along a single track from one station to another, said single track including a pair of spaced, Parallel rails, the improvement comprising: a pair of track sections at least at one of said stations and disposed on opposite sides of a continuation of the centerline of said single track, each track section including a pair of parallel rails spaced to correspond to the spacing of the rails of said single track, the rails outermost of said centerline in each track section being connected to respective rails of said single track by a curved continuation of the related rails, the rails innermost of said centerline in each track section being joined by merging, curved continuations which stop short of the rails of said single track to form a space therebetween, a pair of short, curved rails located within said space and simultaneously movable to two positions, in one position one short rail forms a cross-cover from one rail of said single track to an innermost rail of one track section while the other is inoperative, and in another position the other short rail forms a cross-over from the other rail of said single track to the innermost rail of the other track section while said one short rail is inoperative, whereby said car may be moved between said single track and a selected one of said track sections, pits under said single track and said track sections and extending along respective lengths thereof, the pits under said track sections merging with the pit under said single track, an electric power supply for the motor of said coil car, comprising an unbroken power rail system within the pit under said single track and one track section and following the line of car movement between said single track and said one track section, and a sectional power rail system within the pit under the other track section and following the line of car movement from said single track to said other track section, current collector means movable with said car and engageable with said power rail systems to provide electric power to the car motor, and means to automatically effect current conduction between said collector means and said sectional power system when said car is moved between said single track and the track section overlying said sectional power system. 